The Manx government said it will consider changes announced this week to the UK immigration system as part of its review into the island’s own rules.

Keir Starmer unveiled a raft of measures to cut down on legal immigration to the UK with a promise to fix a ‘broken’ system which has seen net migration soar in recent years.

The Prime Minister said the UK risked becoming an ‘island of strangers’ without stricter controls.

A White Paper will include changes to visa requirements and entry regulations for various nationalities.

Among the headline measures is for social care visas to be closed to new applications from abroad, although visa extensions will be permitted for a transition period until 2028.

The minimum salary threshold in the UK has been increased from the previous £23,200 per year to £25,000 per year. This compares to £20,800 in the Isle of Man.

The length of time overseas graduates are able to stay in the UK will be reduced from two years to 18 months and it will become harder for sponsoring institutions to recruit international students.

The Manx government has acknowledged there has been widespread abuse of the island’s immigration system, including evidence that it has been used as a backdoor to the UK.

A review is underway, including into historic visa applications.

In a statement posted on its Facebook page, the government said: ‘Alignment with the UK is an important aspect of the Isle of Man’s current immigration policy and practice.

‘However, the UK Government’s announcements made yesterday are not mirrored automatically.

‘The Isle of Man Government is currently reviewing the conditions for immigration routes into the island.

‘We will consider the changes announced by the UK as part of this review to determine whether they are appropriate for the Isle of Man’s social and economic needs.’

Cabinet Office Minister David Ashford is due to make a statement to May’s sitting of Tynwald, when he will provide an update on the ongoing review of immigration and migration policy.

The Isle of Man’s immigration rules are closely aligned to those in the UK, but they are not identical.

Visas are required for anyone seeking to reside in the Isle of Man who do not already have permission to live in the Common Travel Area.

There has been a sharp rise in the number of visa applications, rising from 2,671 In 2021-22 to 4,056 in 2022-23 , and with similar numbers in the following years. The most widest represented nationalities are Chinese, Filipino, South African, Indian and Ghanaian.

But it is not known how many of these people actually arrive or stay in the Isle of Man.

The introduction of an immigration healthcare surcharge is being considered. This would bring the island into line with the UK and provide a disincentive to potential immigrants with greater healthcare needs.

This was one of the measures suggested in a Council of Ministers’ report on Inward Migration Incentives and Disincentives published last year.